Abstract

Parents and government now spend over $48 billion each year on early childhood services, which involves a robust array of local organizations that continue to expand (Marketdata Enterprises, 2005). Two-thirds of the nation’s 4-year-olds now attend a preschool center, up from just one-sixth in the 1950s. ¹ A half-century of research shows that preschool organizations, when offering vibrant, high-quality programs, yield strong and sustained benefits for children from low-income families. ²